It Takes Two
by Punkie-Spunk
Summary: [2shot] He was the lover, and he was the fighter. He loved the moments they spent together, and he hated to lose. He hated arguing, and he loved being right. [Hayner.X.Roxas]
1. The Lover

_**It Takes Two:**  
The Lover_

Roxas thought he deserved it; Olette told him that he did nothing wrong, and Pence told him that Hayner was a genuine douche-bag.

He didn't even remember how it had started - the fight, of course. First they were just talking, and then Hayner raised his voice, and just…boom; Hayner was gone.

Roxas held the icepack to his black eye and sighed, feeling Olette stroke his hand and Pence rub his shoulder soothingly.

Roxas chuckled; it wasn't like this was the first time. He adjusted the icepack, and bit his lip.

He remembered first meeting Hayner.

He had always been a little…pigheaded, in a sense. Roxas had transferred schools after moving to Twilight Town when he was only eight.

Roxas always sat by himself in one of the empty tables in the back of the classroom. At lunch, he would take his food and sit next to the planter box and eat all by himself.

Olette was the first to talk to him, being social and, well, a _girl_. She sat next to him one day at lunch, and they were best friends ever since.

Contrary to popular thinking, Hayner was next, wondering why Olette had stopped coming to play dodge ball on the blacktop.

Roxas remembers playing dodge ball with Hayner the next day and sending Pence to the nurse with a bloody nose in their victory.

Pence didn't talk to Roxas after that for about a week before Olette patched things up and made Roxas say he was sorry. He was going to anyway, but Pence kept running away every time Roxas came near him.

Roxas remembers Sex-Ed.

The girls and the boys were separated that day. Olette was stuck with Fuu, and the other girls while Roxas, Hayner and Pence were stuck with Seifer and Rai. Seifer told everyone in school about how he knew everything about how grownups wrestled on the floor and a baby came the next day.

Roxas watched the video. It talked about pennies and Virginia and the word Condemn and how the pennies needed to condemn something in order to get into Virginia…or something.

The only thing he remembered was Seifer laughing at the word pennies every time it came on the TV.

He remembers graduating from Elementary school and being a sixth grader.

Roxas didn't like being a sixth grader. All the other kids from the other elementary schools picked on him a lot because he was a little shorter than the other boys that were already growing like weeds.

One of the older boys (probably in the seventh grade) pushed him into the girl's bathroom once and called him gay for going in there. Roxas didn't know what gay meant at the time, so that really never bothered him.

The only thing that did bother him that day were the screams of the girls running outside after Roxas had twisted his ankle trying to scramble out.

He remembers Hayner bringing him to the nurse for two reasons; one, because of his ankle, and two, because Hayner had stood up for the younger boy and got himself a hurt shoulder and a scrape on his elbow.

Roxas remembers getting hot when they were in the locker room, changing after PE. He glanced over at Hayner when the older boy had his shirt off and felt heat rush to his cheeks and look in another direction.

He remembers their first dance.

Olette looked beautiful that night. She had a short skirt on, with a skinny shirt and her hair done in curls. Pence looked good too; he had borrowed his father's dress shirt, because by that time Pence had begun to never leave the TV screen and play video games all day.

But he remembers Hayner the most.

His button shirt fit loosely around his torso and he had slicked his hair down with gel. It was, of course, the seventh grade. The foursome was a sophisticated bunch by this time.

Roxas remembers how the four of them danced by themselves, and danced together during the slow songs. First, Roxas danced with Pence's hands on his hips, watching Olette and Hayner slowly dance near them. Second, he danced with Hayner's hands on his hips and he watched Olette and Pence giggle as they danced.

Roxas remembered last how he had danced with his hands on Olette's hips and laughing at Hayner's happy look, resting on Pence's shoulder.

Roxas knew what gay meant, and what the pennies and the Virginia were, and that condemn meant condom.

He remembers hesitating to get a locker next to Hayner in PE in the eighth grade. He remembers blushing and almost getting in line with Seifer and Rai.

_Almost._

He hesitated because he knew that guys were supposed to like girls and their Virginias and use Condemns so they didn't get knocked up. But…something was off.

He remembers the eighth grade graduation dance.

He remembers how beautiful Olette looked at every dance and how snappy Pence could dress, proving anything could happen, but he remembered Hayner the most.

He remembered Hayner's black eye he came with because he was trying to get Olette's corsage back from Seifer. Both of them left with something from the other.

He remembered taking Olette outside to help her with her makeup because she had been crying. He remembered the feel of her lips against his and how fast and slow and crazy and calm and weird it had been all at once.

Hayner was using a soda can to cover the bruise when Roxas and Olette had come back. He set it down after the swelling had gone down and discovered a new cut over his eyebrow.

Roxas took him outside, down the school halls and into the open boys bathroom to clean it up before he got his shirt dirty. He wet a piece of toilet paper and gently dabbed the scrape until the bleeding had stopped and through it on the floor.

Hayner ruffled Roxas' hair and they both came back to the dance. Hayner didn't like to dance, but he did it anyway, because it always made them all happy.

Roxas went over to Hayner's house after the dance to spend the night – something they occasionally did. Even though they were in the eighth grade, Hayner insisted they shared the same bed, or else Roxas would have to sleep downstairs on the couch because Hayner wouldn't leave his room.

So Hayner won every battle. Not that Roxas had every really cared. The bed wasn't uncomfortable and the floor wasn't very warm.

He remembers Hayner mumbling when Roxas wasn't looking and paying attention. Roxas was sitting on the bed, watching the movie Hayner picked for the night before the two went to bed. He'd hear something, but never turn to meet it.

Hayner told him he liked Roxas that day. He remembers blushing and looking down at the floor. Hayner blushed too and tried not to stare. When Roxas did Hayner would look up and just smile. Smile like he meant it and wanted to mean and like he knew he had to mean it.

Roxas went home that night with his head full and stomach empty. He was happy and a little giddy, the slightest bit hyper, and everything in between.

He remembers his kiss and his touch and how easily he gave in, and how all the signs had somehow come into place and how everything broke apart at the same time.

He remembers how honestly and desperately and helplessly and hopefully he had fallen in love that year. He remembers telling Olette and Pence about it, and the two of them only smiling and giggling and nodding in approval.

High school turned out to be the hardest.

He remembers trying to keep things together, and out of everyone else's' heads. He told his new friends in art class that Hayner was his best friend - not a lover. Hayner told his new friends on the soccer team that Roxas was his best friend and that was it. No one knew what to believe.

He remembers the first time they had a date. He remembers the first time he told Hayner that he loved him. He remembers the first time they made love. He remembers their first fight, and the first time Roxas came to Olette and Pence with a black eye, and how he went back home later that same night and everything was okay again.

Roxas smiled, lowering the icepack from his bruised eye, which already began to feel better and stood up from his seat in the Usual Spot and glanced at the two, looking at how beautiful Olette can never-not-be and how spiffy Pence could not help but be.

Now, they were sixteen. Now, the world was waiting for them. The music was newer, the trends were bigger and the world was at its worst.

And Roxas wasn't going to let a little black eye get in his way.

**x-0-x**


	2. The Fighter

**It Takes Two:  
**_**The Fighter**_  
_For Jessica Paige Box, my best friend_

"Oh yeah?"

"You heard me, did I stutter, cunt-face?"

"What'd you say!?"

Hayner balled his fists at his sides and glared. Seifer was fearless with Fuu and Rai at his sides; everyone knew it except him.

"You and that other fag should just stay out of everyone else's hair and get lost quick, ass-munch."

And he snapped.

Seifer was on the ground in a second, and both Fuu and Rai could see the black eyes and fat lip forming already. It took both of them to pull Hayner off of Seifer and to hold him down, because all of them knew Seifer was a pussy except him.

Seifer had a good right hook. Not so much a good left. Hayner hurt both ways after he was done. Fuu and Rai gave him kicks to the stomach before the three of them left.

Hayner groaned at his stiff neck and shaking elbows as he sat up from the dirt, closing his right eye from the sting. He stood up and brushed the dust off of his pants. At least Seifer didn't leave unscathed. Fucker had it coming.

He stumbled into Roxas' door and had a bad headache when he noticed Roxas tending him.

"You can't keep doing this, Hayner."

"I had to."

Roxas laughed, "Just what exactly are you out there to prove?" He lightly dabbed a cotton ball on the small cut on his lip.

"I dunno."

Roxas laughed.

**x-0-x**

Nails raked across skin and legs tangled and a breath was hard to find. Hayner would thrust and they both would moan. Hearts beat as one, bodies so close they could melt, love so strong it could kill.

Roxas wanted to kiss, Hayner wanted to breathe. Roxas settled for bites on the neck and Hayner would buck and buck until the pretty light exploded behind his eyes and reality came back into focus.

Roxas would sigh contently, happily, tiredly. Hayner would pull out and pull the blanket just over their waists and regain his breath. Roxas wouldn't care about the mess or the smell or the sweat or the exhaustion. He would come closer and crawl on top of him, lacing their fingers together and rest against the older boy, hearts beating as one, bodies melting.

Love so strong it could _k i l l._

**x-0-x**

Roxas had tears in his eyes and Hayner was happy the damned movie was almost over.

"Have you no _soul_?"

"What?"

"Inman just _died_, Hayner, she was waiting for him for four years. _Four years!_"

Hayner scoffed, "He was ugly."

Roxas scoffed too. "You're ugly."

"Says you."

Roxas huffed, stood up, and locked his bedroom door and didn't come back out for the rest of the night.

**x-0-x**

"Hayner…are you drunk?"

"N-no, I had just like, one shot… Okay, maybe almost four… Okay, four, not _almost_ four… I'm just a little tipsy."

Hayner plopped down onto the couch rather ungracefully, and nearly fell over the edge if it wasn't for Roxas hand grabbing his arm at the last second to drag him back down. All he did was laugh.

Roxas didn't let go of his arm, not until Hayner met his eyes for a second, before bursting into laughter.

Roxas stayed firm. Hayner couldn't.

**x-0-x**

"I love you, Hayner."

No response.

"I _love_ you, Hayner."

"…Love you, too."

**x-0-x**

"I can't do this anymore."

His clothes were rain soaked and his vision was blurry, and his head ached from repeatedly running into things. His stomach churned uncomfortably, making him roll over onto his side on the floor with a groan.

Roxas was warm when he lay down next to him and set a hand on his shoulder.

One shot, he was fine.

Two, he was fine.

Three, his speech held the slightest slur.

Four, he was okay.

Five, he was okay…

Six, he watched the blurry lights and listened to the muffled voices.

Seven, he was **d**f**r**kb**u**ls**n**h**k**.

He bumped his head into buildings walking home. He ran into street signs and was amazed how he got home in one piece.

Roxas almost cried. Hayner nearly threw up.

Roxas dabbed his bumps and bruises and Hayner did throw up.

_"I can't do this anymore." _

Hayner shot up and stumbled toward the bathroom, coughing wildly and feeling cold tendrils run down his spine.

"I just can't."

**x-0-x**

"I can't keep this up by myself, _Hayner_."

"Who says you're doing it by _yourself_?"

Roxas kept quiet and kept his eyes on the tiles of the kitchen floor. Hayner sat across from him, expression blank with the slightest bit of anger.

Roxas sighed crossing his arms as well, "When is my _birthday_, Hayner."

He spat it more than asked.

His lips pursed and his eyebrows furrowed together.

"S-Septem-"

"_October._"

Hayner fell silent, and kept his eyes downcast.

He heard the chair scoot across the tiles on the floor as Roxas stood up.

"And yours is April twenty-third, and our anniversary is June twenty-seventh, and your mother's birthday is November nineteenth."

Hayner stayed quiet.

"It takes _two_, Hayner, to make something like this work… I don't want to do it by myself."

He could hear the tears already forming. He could _hear_ them coming.

Roxas held the lump in his throat.

"This isn't going to work…" Roxas whispered. Hayner almost stood up and said something.

Roxas left the room quietly and softly closed the door to the bedroom.

**x-0-x**

"Shut up, shut up, you don't know anything!"

"Oh yeah? Well at least I know enough to remember a damn birthday, you fucked- up sorry excuse-"

"Don't you say it, don't you fucking say it."

"Don't say _what_? Fucked –up sorry excuse of a-"

Roxas groaned at the hit to his eye and reeled back into the wall where the older boy had cornered him. Roxas pushed off the wall and spat in the older boy's face.

"Fucked-up, sorry excuse of a fatherless waste of fucking sperm!"

Hayner had already left the room and slammed the door on his way out.

**x-0-x**

Olette and Pence soothed him with an icepack and calming words.

When Roxas came back home, Hayner was still gone.

He made himself a sandwich he couldn't even eat.

At 10:00 he was still missing.

At 11:30 he hadn't come back.

At 1:57, Roxas cried, scrunched up on the kitchen table.

At 2:43, Roxas had fallen asleep in his tears on the table.

**x-0-x**

Hayner came home late the next day. He stood in the doorway of the bedroom and stared at the bag.

"Where ya goin'…?"

"I'm staying with Pence." He threw a shirt in the bag and packed it in.

Hayner was silent again. He looked at the purple blotch around Roxas' left eye and sighed.

He turned and went downstairs and walked outside and sat on the front porch with his knees to his chest and both hands on his head.

He heard Pence pull up. He heard him walk up and stop in front of the older boy.

"Hayner?"

"You can't take him, Pence."

"W-what?"

"_Please_ don't take him Pence."

He opened his mouth to reply but nothing came. They both looked up to watch Roxas open the door with his bag slung over his shoulder.

Hayner heard the bag drop and Roxas' head meet his shoulder.

"How long…?"

"A month."

He didn't say anything.

Roxas rubbed his head a little and smiled half-heartedly when Hayner finally looked up to meet him. After a peck on the lips, he grabbed his bag and threw it in Pence's trunk and they drove away with Roxas eyes watching him outside the window.

Hayner stared long after the car was out of sight.

He'll come back…he always comes back.

**x-0-x**

Olette stared dazedly at the phone number calling her cell phone at two in the morning and sighed.

"H-Hayner?"

A sniffle and a ragged exhale.

"What's wrong?"

No answer.

Olette got up sat up from the covers and rubbed her eye.

"Honey, are you okay?"

Another sniffle and Olette had her shoes on.

"It's okay. I'm coming over, okay?"

"Okay…"

_Click._

**x-0-x**

When did he go to sleep?

Hayner woke up sprawled on his -_their_- bed on his belly, one leg dangling off and toes tapping the carpet.

When had he been crying?

He dried his cheeks and eyes and fisted the sheets and sighed. Contently; genuinely; almost…

When had Olette come in?

Hayner walked downstairs, following the scent of something cooking and found Olette prancing in boy-shorts, a tank top, mussed hair and no socks making breakfast.

When had Hayner gotten down to his boxers?

She barely glanced up from her cooking when Hayner stood at the entrance to the kitchen and offered a small good morning. Hayner's throat ground out a half-assed one of his own and sat at the table.

Since when had he been hungry in the last four days?

The plate Olette had made him was gone quickly and he even went back into the kitchen for seconds. Olette ate quietly on the other side of the table and read the newspaper like she did every morning.

Since when did Hayner do dishes?

He washed the pans and the plates and the glasses and set them to dry on the counter. Olette had thanked him and told him to put some pants on in the least because she was already dressed and she told him they were getting _out_ of this old house for some air, because Hayner was suffocating in it.

So he did. He put on pants and a shirt and his shoes and they went to the park and sat on the swings and talked.

Hayner talked about Roxas. Olette talked about boy problems and how if either Hayner or Roxas were straight, they would both be in trouble.

Olette came into the house at two thirty in the morning, got Hayner up from the couch and made him change into something to sleep in, because he had taken too much Vicoden to remember what to do.

So, he took off his pants and his shirt and Olette made him go to bed. Then he started crying so she came into the room and lay with him until he went to sleep.

"You did all that?"

"Yeah…It was only three in the morning, Hayner." She giggled and pushed off the tan bark gently in the swing.

Hayner looked down at the bark with a grin. He was tired. And he was hungry. And he was never taking Vicoden without a headache again.

**x-0-x**

Thirty days, nine hours, and thirty-six minutes.

Time went it's slowest today. The sun didn't even bother to rise on time, and the hours were laughing at their baby steps threw the seconds, turning into minutes after centuries of wait.

At least, that was what was going through Hayner's head. The blond boy sat on the porch, knees together and hands together and tapping his lips in some beat that reminded him of the timing of the seconds, and that they weren't _really_ going as slow as he thought.

His leg began trembling in the anticipation and the wait and the aggravation growing in his stomach. He sighed annoyedly, laying back and resting on the porch floor and staring up at the ceiling.

He waited a few seconds before looking up at the street in front of him, and groaning again.

He waited a minute before doing it again. Then his mind went elsewhere and five minutes went by, and he looked up again; still no dull forest-green old junky car pulling up.

He sighed deeply, again staring up at the ceiling of the porch and blinking himself into some kind of not-really-sleeping sleep. He would kind of jump at the sound of a car passing and he would ease after it didn't stop and assume his state.

He almost forgot the younger boy's name and stuttered something close to 'Hi', 'Hey', 'oh my god', and 'mother fucker' mixed together and wrapped his arms around Roxas' waist and pulled him down onto the porch floor when the car had pulled up and he hadn't noticed. Roxas only laughed.

His eyes were bluer and his hair was blonder and his skin was softer and paler and his shirts smelled oddly like Pence's car, but that was okay; Pence's car smelled like socks and cheap cover up, that was all.

His eyes were darker and his hair was just a little longer and his skin was tanner and he still smelled like axe and Irish-spring soap, but that was okay; Roxas never once got tired of the scent.

He told Hayner that he was tired, and hadn't slept for a week. Hayner had told him about Olette and the Vicoden and how they both needed sleep.

Eventually they both made it up the stairs and were laying on the bed, pointing out shapes and faces in the ceiling paint.

Roxas changed the conversation suddenly to snow. How calm and soothing it can look but once you snorted the stuff, it was like fire burning to the tips of your hair.

He said he did it twice. Not with Pence; not with anyone Hayner would have known; he said they were friends. Hayner was far too gone on the Vicoden-without-a-headache to care.

He wanted it; Roxas made it sound kind of good.

Roxas stashed some in his bag when no one was looking because the high was too fun to pass up and the consequences weren't much. He pulled it out in a little bag and used a declined credit card he swiped too to make the lines of white, white snow.

Funny, it wasn't cold like snow. Hayner said it was more like fire shooting through to the tips of his hair and accumulating in small lumps behind his eyes and making them hazy.

One line, he was okay. Two, he was okay. Three, he couldn't hear Roxas telling him to only do one more. Five, he was fucking Roxas on the couch downstairs without even knowing it.

The light exploding behind his eyes didn't bring reality back. Lying back on the bed stark naked and pointing out how the ceiling changed colors didn't bring reality back. Fucking Roxas didn't bring reality back.

_Fucking_ Roxas didn't bring it back.

_Fucking ROXAS_ didn't bring reality back to his senses. All he wanted to do, was sleep.

So he did, still jacked up on Vicoden and the cocaine Roxas called snow. He felt cold in the summer air and he felt hot from the inside out and everywhere else. He remembers the headache and the suffocation and the bright white light that finally brought reality back.

Roxas was there. They weren't home, though. They were outside, on the lawn, watching the whizzing stars and clouds flying from dawn to night, dawn to night.

Fingers laced and lips touched and cheeks brushed; they took their time and they hurried up. From dusk 'till dawn, dust 'till dawn.

_L o v e s o s t r o n g i t c o u l d __**k i l l.**_

**x-0-x**

**A/N**: Started: 4/25 10:08PM, Ended: 5/15 11:00PM

Can you say, TWENTY DAMN DAYS?


End file.
